Former Syracuse Basketball Star McNamara Undergoes Spine Surgery in Germany

A four-inch scar is the only sign that Gerry McNamara, the former Syracuse University basketball star and current Orange assistant coach, underwent surgery two weeks ago in Germany to replace three discs in his upper spine.

“It was a long process,” McNamara says. “It started back in May or even earlier. I didn’t know what was wrong at first, but I knew something was definitely wrong.”

The first indication of trouble for McNamara wasn’t in his neck or back, but in his right pectoral and tricep muscles. One doctor thought McNamara might have torn his pectoral muscle, but a tear would have resulted in some pain, and McNamara reported none. After McNamara told Syracuse trainer Brad Pike about the problem, he was advised to have a specialist look at his neck — specifically, his upper spine. McNamara saw physicians in both Syracuse and Buffalo, N.Y., before being diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, which affected the C3 through C6 area of his cervical area, with two of those discs pressing close to McNamara’s spinal cord. For more information, click here to read the full article.